Scoop Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 We are now less than five months away from tip off. Who are the opponents we know for sure? Any other inside scheduling info? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 We know UNC, Iowa, and Ole Miss are coming to town, and we're going to Loyola-Chicago. I can't think of any others off the top of my head. Isn't there a preseason tournament in Texas that we'll be part of? I can't find anything about that one online, but I remember something about us and Texas A&M in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Did we renew the Iowa series? We played them in Iowa City during the 04-05 season and then at home last year. We also know that we're playing SIU and Missouri State. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 We are not playing Iowa next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 i was talking to a rabid iowa fan yesterday and he said that they do not have the returning talent and he assumed that iowa would likely go very soft in non-conference this upcoming season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted June 19, 2006 Author Share Posted June 19, 2006 Non-Conference: UNC Ole Miss Loyola-Chicago MO state SIU I didn't hear about renewing the Iowa series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 My mistake- no Iowa. I forgot I've been out of school for a year now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop Posted June 19, 2006 Author Share Posted June 19, 2006 UNC Ole Miss Loyola-Chicago MO State SIU Texas A&M Pretty Strong Non-Conf. I could see us on the road starting another home and home with another strong team. Big East? Pac 10? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinfootes Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 In addition to UNC, Ole Miss, Mo.State at home and Loyola-Chicago, SIU-C and Texas A&M on the road.....add another road game to the West Coast for a game against one the two best mid-major in California. I know Coach Soderberg likes to build that SOS number, but sometimes I question his scheduling courage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 He should make it as hard as possible. That way, you get the best competition before the conference season, more exposure by playing bigger programs, and better learning experience for the players. It isn't all about the SOS number. Sure, you might lose more than you win, but no one gets better playing cupcakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Then explain how George Mason got prepared for their march to the Final Four playing a weaker out of conference schedule than the Billikens? You have to get into the tournament first. Going 10-2 against a top 100 schedule has you sitting pretty going into the conference season. Going 6-6 against a top 50 schedule requires that a mid-major team win the conference or the conference tournament to get into the Dance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 It was just a few years ago there were way too many 250+ cupcakes on Brad's schedule and he admitted as such in a P-D article. Now with the weak RPI of the A-10 he's got to schedule up in the OOC. I don't think you can say he likes to schedule tough, I think he HAS to. Still, I think you should wait until the full schedule is released, not just a handfull of games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I think our schedule looks fine at the top end. I just want to get rid of any team over about 225. With only 1 or 2 at that level. Anyone else has to be below 200. I'm no expert, but by looking at what the MVC did last year it looks as if you get just as much of a gain by playing 50 pts better ... ie change a 250 to a 200. as you do by changing a 100 to a 50. Maybe I'm wrong, but I know for sure you have to get rid of the real weak teams and schedule a few top teams also. Then ... you have to win games. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman and loyal subject of Billsboy and all ex D1 players and coaches everywhere. You da man Billsboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 "think our schedule looks fine at the top end. I just want to get rid of any team over about 225. With only 1 or 2 at that level" We had 5 teams over 225 on our non-con. Wichita St. had 3. Yet our SOS was better. As long as you have an overall non-con schedule strength in the top 100, it doesn't really matter how you get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 You have to get into the tournament, sure, but look at George Washington this year. Their record was incredible, but they wound up with an 8 seed because they didn't play anybody, and therefore didn't beat anybody. Two more losses and they're out altogether. Teams that play a weak schedule early generally fade late. George Mason was an exception this year, and everybody was on the Colonial conference bandwagon around selection time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 He said he likes to schedule tough for the reasons I mentioned above. He does not want his team or schedule to be soft by the time we get into conference play. Even if the A-10 were at its best, he would still play a hard non-conference schedule. Keep in mind that just a few years ago there were a lot of games on the schedule that were lined up before he started. The first couple years Brad was here, he looked at the buy-in games as just buy-in games without really considering the difference between playing an RPI 175 team and a 275. That's why we wound up with junk like Savannah St., a game he apologized for scheduling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 "You have to get into the tournament, sure, but look at George Washington this year" You only seem to focus on extremes. You say we have to play the toughest schedule possible by citing the failure of a team that played the weakest schedule possible, conveniently ignoring all the teams that have been successful by playing a moderate out-of conference schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Of course you can pick out an exception or 2 ... but I think my point is still correct ... get rid of the really poor games and sprinkle a few really tough ones in. Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman and loyal subject of Billsboy and all ex D1 players and coaches everywhere. You da man Billsboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 George Mason, Wichita St., UAB, George Washington, Utah St. and Air Force are not "an exception or 2". Those are all teams outide of power conferences that made the tournament with weaker non-cons that we played. If you schedule moderately and win the games you're supposed to, you will get in. Scheduling "tough" requires that win games that you're not supposed to win. If you want to talk about exceptions, then upsetting higher ranked teams is the exception. The favored team normally wins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I didn't say we have to play the toughest schedule possible- I said that we should. It's just my opinion. George Washington was the easiest example that came to mind, and it works that they play in the same conference as us, so we can keep that variable the same. I'm not going to sift through every schedule in the NCAA's to make a point. I just like the hard schedules. Skip is right- get rid of the bottom few, and get a few of the best teams every year, and we've got a nice non-conference schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 These were also all teams that got lower seeds than they thought they deserved. They made short-term decisions to play softer non-conference schedules knowing they had good teams and could win a lot. That also puts a team at risk for losing a game or two they shouldn't, and missing the tournament with over 20 wins. Look at the way our squad responded to competition like Gonzaga and UNC last year- we get up for the big ones, plus we draw more fans, get some TV exposure, and get noticed by fans outside of St. Louis and the A-10. Who gets pumped up to play "moderately" difficult games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I have no idea what GW's schedule was like...but they won 26 games, lost their tournament, but got in from a historical one bid conference. Then went on a tear...that may change some perceptions with the selection committee as to historical one bid conferences. For example, college of Charleston, 4 years ago won 28 games + plus the Alaska shootout. Lost in the tournament semi's and was history as far as the NCAA. I think for SLU to get in next year, w/o the benefit of winning the conference tourney, we'd have to post at least 22 regualar season wins, possibly be regular season champs, and win two games in the tourney. One of those Non Con wins has to be against a ranked opponent, read SIU or TxAM, to justify us being there. Moral victories don't cut it with the committee. Face it, the A-10 is down right now and with GW taking serious hits it's probably dropping a little further. If all that happened we'd be around 24-8, beat a ranked team, did well in the tourney. With what our schedule is shaping up to be we'd probably have an RPI in the low 40's to mid 30's....how could they not let us in? Now all we have to do is make it happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p diddy Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 word on the street was that a trip to pacific may be on the list for next year's schedule with a return date in '08. bad boyz for life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Is there any way we can get out of playing St. Joe's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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